Moyes hopes all seven sign on

David Moyes has hailed Duncan Ferguson's giant contribution to Everton's place in Europe and insisted that he hopes the big striker and all the out-of-contract stars sign new deals with the club.

The Toffees boss revealed that he wants to add around six new players for next season's tilt at the Champions League - and wants the seven players who are free to leave this summer to agree new deals.

Manager of the Year Moyes sees Ferguson as the example for the future, and claims the club are in a healthy financial position now to allow him to raid the transfer market.

Ferguson, Steve Watson, David Weir, Alessandro Pistone, Leon Osman, Alan Stubbs and Gary Naysmith have all been offered new deals and given two weeks to make their minds up.

Moyes explained: "The contracts have been offered and I hope they all stay.

"They are good lads and we have a terrific squad, a good group.

"I want them to be here, but if not Everton will move on and we will thank them for their efforts."

The belief is that most will resign, with the possible exception of Pistone - who has been made a good offer to return to Italy with Serie A side Lecce.

But the rest, including Ferguson, are very much part of Moyes' plans for the future.

And he says of Ferguson, the Scottish warhorse he fell out with last season: "He is here and as long as he remains strong and fit he will be considered with everybody else.

"Duncan became very important to us. He played much of the season as a substitute, and a very effective one.

"Duncan had a lot of problems with injuries, but he has been free of those and his training has been better. He has been able to get more work in and it went okay for us.

"He was an excellent person to come off the bench and that suited us. He has started several games recently, the Manchester United one comes to mind when on the night he was the Duncan Ferguson of old and the one we all knew.

"We will continue to use him in that way, we hope to keep him next season and it will be for similar purposes."

Moyes is believed to be interested in Tottenham pair Simon Davies and Robbie Keane, plus Inter Milan's Andy van der Meyde, but he dismissed suggestions that he is also keen on Reading's Steve Sidwell.

The Scot says of his summer spending spree: "We have given those out-of-contract players a few days to make up their minds. Most of them had already been offered contracts during the season anyway.

"The only one who hadn't was Steve Watson, because he'd had some injuries around January. But he too has been talked to now.

"They are aware of the situation and by next week we will start to get answers from them.

"We now have the chance to bring some players in, so it is becoming really exciting.

"There is a bit more money to spend, there's some of the Rooney_79586.shtml'>Wayne Rooney money as well as the money from Thomas Gravesen's move to Real Madrid. So we are in a healthy state at the moment.

"But the job is now difficult because we must attract players of a better quality, players who will enhance the squad but they must come here and fit in with the way we do things at Everton.

"They must be determined and winners. They must want to progress and show ambition.

"They must have the same ambitions as I have got, if they do not have that then I really don't want them."